emergency apps – jācapps

As healthcare spending in the U.S. continues to grow (currently nearly 18% of GDP) and as accountability in healthcare becomes a bigger and bigger issue, engaging patient audiences in their care is a bigger challenge than ever. Getting patients to integrate simple, daily habits to benefit their health is key to improving outcomes. While many companies look to foster proactive, instead of reactive healthcare – they are having trouble making these processes easy for patients. But with so many of us so deeply dependent on our smartphones, perhaps mobile technology holds some answers.

Private practice physician groups, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers are working to incorporate better technology into their internal processes and patient communications.

Beyond EHR (electronic health records) there are many ways to keep patients and families abreast of facility logistics, patient health literacy, and service or surgery preparation.
Take Dr. Partha Nandi for example: by day Dr. Nandi performs endoscopic procedures to diagnose and treat digestive health. On top of his typical practice, Dr. Nandi wanted to better communicate his holistic approach to patient health. Educating the public and his patients is an important part of his business. With an application, Dr. Nandi was able to get his content in the hands of his on-the-go consumers. This internal medicine physician is able to share e-books, educational episodes, and many other patient literacy tools to better serve his audience. A mobile application complements his health delivery model because an important part of health is the ability to make mindful health efforts anywhere, anytime.

Mobile apps can also be an option for hospitals to communicate better with their consumers. A hospital Florida wanted to help its audience stay on top of ER wait times, important urgent care information, and mapping of their medical center to help patients and families get around. Knowing that much more time on mobile phones is spent within applications instead of in browsers, they understood the opportunity mobile provided.
Mobile apps are a proven way to seamlessly connect with your community! Healthcare costs and getting better outcomes is an issue for everyone, and health and wellness providers can make their patient experience a digital one. This will save resources and benefit both patients and healthcare providers! To share ideas for your institution’s healthcare app please contact us at sales@jacapps.com .

Whether it be scrolling through social media posts, catching up on the latest news or hash tagging trending topics, we are constantly connected to our smartphones. However, lately the role of our mobile devices has taken on more urgency – like when an emergency or natural disaster strikes, most recently hurricanes Harvey, Irma and now, maybe, Maria.

Here are 10 apps that you should be using during an emergency:

Medical ID – Android and iPhone

You can now access a Medical ID from the Emergency Call screen on your smartphone. This ID can be created in your pre-installed Health app and customized with name, birthdate, allergies, medications, emergency contacts, height, weight, blood type and organ donor information.

ICE Standard app – Android and iPhone

This free app acts as a detailed medical card with the ability to add a color-coded medical status to show your medical status (high risk, medium risk, or good to go status). Police, EMS, FEMA and ER staff can access your medical information on the lock screen of your smartphone.

Family Locator app – Android and iPhone

In case of an emergency you need your family to know that you’re safe. The Family Locator app shares your location to your personalized “circle” so they can access your location at any time. For someone traveling abroad or in an unfamiliar place, send arrival and departure locations to your circle.

Red Panic Button app – Android and iPhone

A preset, personalized emergency message can be sent through email, text or social media to an emergency contact with the Red Panic Button app. The contact will also be sent your location once the button is pressed.

SafeTrek app – Android and iPhone

Similar to Red Panic Button app, SafeTrek is a button that you hold down on your screen and let go once you’ve reached a safe place. If the deactivation pin is not entered within 10 seconds of releasing the button, police will be contacted and sent your location.

SirenGPS app – Android and iPhone

Accesses your location and forwards it to police, paramedics or firefighters, depending on which button is pressed. A profile with your personal and medical information can be sent to emergency responders along with your location.

Bugle app – iPhone only

Another useful location-tracking app that sends free alerts to an emergency contact. Utilize this app by creating an activity log, check-in time and destination that is sent to your emergency contact if you fail to log in.

Guardly Mobile app – Android and iPhone

This app is ideal for companies and organizations in need of a mass alert system. Alerts can be sent to employees if there is an office crisis such as a safety hazard, fire alert, maintenance, harassment or theft.

Disaster Alert – Android and iPhone

This app goes further than a local weather report by alerting you of “active hazards” happening around the world. Users receive notifications about natural disasters such as storms, volcanos, wildfire, earthquakes, floods and drought.

Kitestring

If you or your loved ones do not have access to a smartphone, the Kitestring service can be used on any phone to alert others of your location through text. Like Bugle, it notifies your friends and family about your whereabouts if you do not respond to its check-in texts, but provides access to anyone without a smartphone. This service can be accessed through the Kitestring website.
As always, we’ve love to talk mobile with you. Click here to set up a conversation about your brand’s mobile strategy. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or shoot us an email.